


Second Impressions

by meangreenlimabean



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Teachers, F/F, First Dates, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Happy Ending, Romantic Fluff, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-03-13 03:11:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3365546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meangreenlimabean/pseuds/meangreenlimabean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laurel is volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters.  When the girls introduce her to their favorite teacher, Ms Smoak, none of them expect what follows. This was for a Valentine prompt, so expect plenty of fluffy cuteness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Persephoneshadow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persephoneshadow/gifts).



It was Tuesday, and Laurel was watching the clock.  Tonight was pizza night with her girls.  She’d been volunteering as a Big Sister for three months now. As soon as she got off work, she’d be picking a carload of teenagers and treating them to dinner.

Her phone chimed, and she picked it up to see a text from Cin, one of the girls.  “OK if my little brother comes 2?”

She grinned as she texted back “of course! see you soon” before putting her phone away.

When she looked up, her coworker, Oliver, was standing over her desk, an amused look on his face.  “It’s about time, Lance,” he teased.

Her smile turned to confusion.  “What’s about time?”

“Don’t play games; you’ve met someone!”  He chuckled at her shocked reaction.  “It's obvious... you smile constantly, you can’t wait to get out of here, and let’s not forget the constant texting.”

She laughed.  “I’m not seeing anyone, honest!  I’ve been volunteering.  The texts are from the girls I mentor, my Little Sisters.”  She turned her computer screen to show him her desktop background.  It was a group photo from last month’s outing, when she took the girls to play laser tag.

Oliver studied the photo.  “That is really sweet of you.  It must eat up a lot of time, though.”

“It’s nice,” she shrugged.  “They’re great kids. Helping them is really satisfying.”  She quirked an eyebrow.  “You should try it!”

He held up his hands in an exaggerated motion of surrender.  “No thank you.  I’m not exactly a kid person.”  He thought for a moment.  “I’d be glad to support you, though.”

She nodded, a sly smile spreading across her face.  “Well… there is a fundraising banquet coming up.”

“Absolutely, count me in!  Would I be sponsoring a table?”

“Not exactly.  The supporter who gets the most donations in their name gets a pie in the face.  I’ll be sure to email everyone and let them know where to send a check.”  Laurel beamed.

Oliver pretended to be upset, but his eyes still crinkled at the edges.  “The things I do for you.”

At four o’clock, Laurel shut down her computer and hurried to her car.  She stopped by her apartment just long enough to change out of her office clothes.  Instead, she opted for some comfortable jeans, a sweater, and her favorite pair of sneakers.  She pulled her hair back in a ponytail, and headed out again.

She pulled up to the school a few minutes early.  The girls would be done with theater practice at 4:30, so she had a little time to spare.  Usually she would wait for them outside, but since the school day was technically over, she didn’t have to go through the office or get a visitor’s badge.  She shut off the engine and made her way inside.

As she walked, she texted Sara.  “Got here early, where are you?”

The response came almost immediately.  “Wait in the lobby. Be right there.”  Sara showed up moments later, and gave Felicity a hug.  “Rehearsal is almost done. Want to come see?”

“Of course I do!”  She followed as Sara led the way to the auditorium.  “Will your teachers mind if I interrupt?

“Nah, they’re cool.  I’ll introduce you.”  Sara rattled on non-stop as they walked.  “Thea has to leave, but Nyssa said she’ll come with us.”

When they got to the auditorium, Laurel hung back by the doorway, taking in everything while Sara ran ahead.  A few students were scattered throughout the seats, working on homework or listening to iPods.  She spotted Cin in the front row with some other kids she didn’t know.  Thea sat on the edge of the stage talking to them, her legs dangling.  Her face lit up when she spotted Laurel.   She waved excitedly and hopped down to run over.

“Did I say you could leave the stage, Miss Merlin?”  The commanding voice startled Laurel a little, but Thea rolled her eyes and slouched.  The teacher who had shouted made his way over, noticing Laurel for the first time.  

Thea spoke first.  “Mr. Diggle,” she complained, “I was just coming to say hi.” He gave her a long-suffering gaze, and Thea gave Laurel a quick hug before turning to run back to the stage.

He turned back Laurel, and she held out her hand.  “Laurel Lance.  Sorry if I’m distracting them, I could wait outside.”

His expression softened as she shook her hand.  “No, it’s fine.  Doesn’t take much to distract some of these kids.”  He smiled.  “So how do you know Thea?”

Cin appeared behind him.  “She’s our Big Sister,” the girl explained.

Diggle narrowed his eyes.  “You don’t have a sister.”

“I volunteer with Big Brothers, Big Sisters,” Laurel explained.

Cin interrupted before Diggle could respond.  “Hey Laurel, this is my brother.”  She pulled a gangly young boy by his arm.  “Roy, this is Laurel.”

The boy’s eyes grew wide.  “Hi there.”  An awkward smile spread across his face.  “Do you go here?”

His sister smacked him across the shoulder.  “Shut up, Roy.  She might look like one of us, but she’s totally old.”

Diggle’s eyebrows shot up.  “Excuse me?”

Cin grimaced, and looked sideways at Laurel.  “Sorry.”

Laurel just laughed.  “It’s fine.”  She looked at Roy.  “I just finished college.  I am totally old.”

Diggle chuckled, shaking his head.  “Back to your places, let’s finish rehearsal please.”  The two ran off, and Diggle gave Laurel an apologetic smile.  “You’re welcome to stay and watch.”

As soon as the teacher walked away, Sara was back at Laurel’s side.  “Oh, but I wanted to introduce you,” she groaned.  “Mr. Diggle is the best.  Anyway, come on, there’s someone else you have to meet.”

Laurel found herself being dragged up the center aisle.  “Are you sure this is alright? I don’t want to interrupt.”

“It’s fine, we’re mostly done anyway.”  They entered a small room at the back of the auditorium.  More bodies were packed in the tiny space than were probably allowed by fire regulations.  “Ms Smoak,” Sara called out.  She dragged Laurel along, shoving people out of the way until they reached a slim blonde woman perched on a stool in front of a control board covered with switches.  She turned as they came up behind her.  “Ms Smoak, this is Laurel, my Big Sister.”

The woman had thick headphones over her ears, and she quickly pulled them down to rest across the back of her neck.  “Hello.”

Laurel suddenly wished she had dressed nicer.  This woman looked sharp in a patterned blouse, dark blue skirt, and cute matching heels.  Laurel felt like a slob in comparison.

Ms. Smoak looked a bit distracted, her eyes wide.  “Wait, did you say… sister?”

Laurel started to clarify, but Sara interrupted.  “She’s a Big Sister, like the volunteer place, you know?”

“Oh, gotcha.”  She smiled at Laurel.  “That’s a really great thing, that you would do that.  It’s great.”  Then she laughed self-consciously.

“Yeah, it’s fun,” Laurel said.  She felt herself grinning stupidly.

Sara spoke up again.  “She’s taking us for pizza after this.”

The woman’s eyes sparkled, and she played with her necklace.  “Pizza, huh?  I like pizza, can I come?”

Laurel’s stomach was doing somersaults.  “No, sorry, it’s just for the kids.”  Instantly she regretted the words.  Rude, she scolded herself.  She opened her mouth to take it back.

Diggle’s voice boomed from the stage.  “Everybody in your places, NOW.  I’m not letting you go until you finish this scene!”

The kids scrambled out of the tiny room, and Laurel found herself swept up with them.  She grabbed Sara’s arm as the girl rushed by.  “I’m just gonna wait in my car.”  Laurel hurried out of building, feeling a bit thrown by the whole experience.

Soon, teenagers were piling into her little car, shoving bookbags between their feet.  Nyssa sat in the passenger seat, and Roy was forced into the middle of the back seat between Sara and his sister Cin.  Someone plugged their ipod into her radio as she put the car into drive.  Everyone was talking loudly as she pulled away from the school.  Laurel’s mind wandered away from the conversation.

A giggle from the backseat caught her attention.  She glanced in the rearview mirror to see Sara covering her face with both hands.  “What?” Laurel demanded.

Sara and Cin shared a look, then Cin spoke up.  “Our teacher has a crush on you.”  The girls tittered with laughter.

Roy made a disgusted face.  “Mr. Diggle? Gross. He’s married anyway.”

His sister elbowed him in the side.  “Not Mr. Diggle, stupid.”

Laurel frowned in the mirror at them.  “Who are you talking about?”

Sara scrunched up her shoulders with a cheesy grin.  “Ms. Smoak.  She asked about you.”

“Whatever,” Laurel laughed it off.  “Don’t tease me.”

Cin and Sara giggled again.  Nyssa turned around to face them.  “Guys, Ms. Smoak is old. Stop that.”

A new song came on, and they all rode in comfortable silence for a while.  Soon the girls in the back found a new topic.  Laurel glanced at Nyssa, who was flipping through a notebook.  “How old is Ms. Smoak,” she asked cautiously.

Nyssa didn’t even look up.  “Oh, she’s really old, like... twenty-seven I think.”

Laurel tried to keep her expression steady.  “You know I’m twenty-two, right?”  Nyssa turned to stare at her in shock.  Cin and Sara turned to each other, eyes wide.  A plan was already forming in their minds.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: I am an idiot, and nearly missed a golden opportunity with the matchmaker kids. As of Feb 16th, those names in part 1 have been replaced with canon characters.

Laurel had mostly forgotten about her awkward visit to the school auditorium. She'd been plenty busy, between work, her Little Sisters, and now spending time with her mom, who was in town for a few days. She'd been so busy, she'd almost forgotten that her birthday was coming up.

"Wake up, honey!" Her mom was shaking her awake.

Laurel had fallen asleep on her dad's couch. Last night, the three of them had stayed up late, catching up. Since it was the weekend, she'd decided to take up his offer to crash there instead of driving home. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Where's dad?"

"He left for work hours ago! Get up, I'll take you out for lunch."

She flopped back down. "Ugh, no. I don't have any clean clothes, and I haven't showered."

"You look fine," her mother insisted. "But if you're that bothered, let's get takeout. Come on, my treat."

Before she knew it, they were in line at the Chinese buffet her mother had spotted. Laurel was praying they could get in and out before she saw anyone she knew.

"That will be ready in ten minutes," the girl behind the register told them with a smile. "You can wait over there."

Laurel chose the seat furthest from the door, and tried to blend in with the wallpaper. Soon she heard a commotion, and glanced over toward the register. A large group of teenagers were filing in, several of whom she recognized. Sara spotted her at the same time, and waved. Laurel waved back, wondering what they were all doing together, out for lunch on a Saturday. Her heart jumped into her chest as she saw Ms. Smoak in the group. Laurel hunched down, mortified, but the other woman didn't seem to have noticed her.

Her mother glanced over. "Who are they?"

"Some of the kids I volunteer with. And that's one of their teachers."

Narrowing her eyes, she leaned closer. "The one who likes you?"

Laurel felt her face get hot. "Be quiet."

"Hmm." Her mother studied the group, a smile pulling at her lips. "She's pretty. Responsible, obviously. Good with kids, that's a plus."

"Mom, please," Laurel begged.

The group went on inside the restaurant to be seated, and Laurel relaxed just a bit. She felt a tiny bit better when she saw that Ms. Smoak was dressed down as well. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt, bike pants, and running shoes. Laurel bit back a smile. Ms. Smoak looked adorable.

Soon their order was ready, and Laurel followed her mother up to the register. Thea peeked around the partition and waved. "Hey," she whispered loudly.

Laurel smiled. "What are you guys up to? Get over here." She got her mother's attention. "Mom, this is Thea." Her mother smiled warmly as the girl came to stand beside them.

Thea was her usual bubbly self. "Hi Laurel's mom. We did a car wash this morning, to get money for costumes for the play. But nobody came, so Ms. Smoak said she'd buy us lunch. What are you doing here?"

Her mother answered for her. "Tomorrow is Laurel's birthday, so I'm treating her."

Thea's eyes grew wide. "Your birthday! We have to do something! Hang on." She disappeared around the partition again.

Laurel's mother put her wallet back in her purse. "What is she up to?"

"No idea," she answered. "We should be afraid."

The girl came back, practically buzzing with excitement. She handed Laurel a napkin. "Give me your phone number."

She took a pen from the counter. "Why? I thought you had my number."

"Not for me, for Ms. Smoak."

Laurel froze. "What for?"

"So she can take you out for your birthday, duh!"

"Uh, Thea?" Laurel's heart was in her throat. "Did she ask for my number, or was this your idea?"

Thea put a hand on her hip. "Of course she wants your number. You guys are just stupid and need my help."

Laurel looked to her mother for help, but got an amused shrug in response. "Fine," she grabbed the napkin. "It's a nice try, Thea, but she's not going to call me." She paused for a second, then wrote down the number for her dad's apartment, since that's where she would be for the rest of the weekend.

Thea took the napkin with a smug grin. "You'll see."

Once then had their takeout, Laurel convinced her mother to take her by her apartment for a change of clothes. They spread the food across the coffee table, and chatted while they ate. Then Laurel got a shower, dried her hair, and grabbed some things to take to her dad's. Her mother insisted on a quick trip to the grocery store next.

When they finally got back to her dad's place, it was late in the afternoon. Laurel's mother unloaded the groceries. "Honey, there's a message on the machine, would you check it?"

Distracted, Laurel pushed the button, and started to walk away. The machine beeped and began to play back the message. "Hi, um… my name is Felicity, I might have the wrong number…" Laurel stopped in her tracks. The woman's voice sounded very familiar, but the name did not ring any bells. "I'm actually calling for Laurel. If you could please tell her that I called, and uh… if she could call me back, that would be nice. If she wants to. Sorry if this is a mistake. Um… thanks." The recording beeped at the end, and Laurel stared at the machine in confusion.

"Was that the teacher from earlier?" her mother wondered.

Laurel was still in shock. "Her name is Felicity?"

"Pretty name. Are you going to call her back?"

Her eyes grew wide. "I will. Yes. I'm going to."

"What are you waiting for?" Her mother handed her the receiver.

"Aren't you supposed to wait or something? How long should I wait?"

"She didn't wait long to call you."

Laurel frowned. Her mother was right. "Alright then." She took the phone, and retreated to the other room. She paced, trying to remember how to breathe, as she found the number in the caller ID and pushed the button to dial. It rang twice.

"Hello?"

Laurel's stomach flipped. "Hi, is this…" she almost said Ms. Smoak, "Felicity?"

"Yes, hi."

"This is Laurel."

"Hi." Felicity's smile was practically audible. "I wasn't sure if I would hear from you."

"Really? Why?" Laurel suddenly felt anxious.

Felicity giggled nervously. "Honestly… I was afraid you gave Thea a fake number."

"What! Why would you think that?"

"The message," she explained. Then she made her voice deeper as she imitated the recording. "You have reached Sergeant Lance of the Starling City P.D."

Laurel's jaw dropped. "Oh my God, I am so sorry." She put her hand over her eyes. "That's my dad. I'm staying at his apartment while my mom is in town. I didn't even think!"

"No, it's fine, really. I'm just relieved that you called." She paused. "So… Thea told me you don't have a date for your birthday."

"She is unbelievable," Laurel grinned. Then she thought of something. "Wait, you thought I gave you a wrong number on purpose, and you left a message anyway?"

Felicity laughed. "I know, it's crazy. I had to give it a shot, though."

"Crazy." She couldn't stop smiling. "And kind of sweet."

When they finally hung up, three hours had passed.


	3. Chapter 3

Laurel wasn’t nervous.  Felicity was on her way over, and Laurel was absolutely not freaking out.  Sure, she’d changed clothes four times, retouched her makeup twice, and spent the last twenty minutes pacing by the door; but she definitely wasn’t nervous.  When she heard the soft knock on the door, her heart jumped right into her throat.

Felicity wore a pink blouse and a white flowered skirt. Her blond hair fell softly over her shoulders.  She looked petrified.  “Here,” she pushed a little cardboard box into Laurel’s hands.  “These are for later, but I wanted you to see them now. It’s sort of a theme date.” She grimaced apologetically.

Laurel set the box on the kitchen counter, and sliced open the string holding it closed. Inside were two decorated cookies.  They had thick, colored icing; the type you would buy for a child’s birthday party.  One was made to look like the Hulk, and the other resembled an Iron Man mask.

“Sorry if it’s completely lame,” Felicity was saying.

Laurel was beaming as she turned back around.  “Are we going to see the Avengers movie?”

“If that’s okay.”

“Yes, absolutely!”

The two stood smiling at each other for a long moment.  Felicity broke the silence.  “You look nice.”

Laurel smoothed her hands over her slacks.  “Thanks.  You were probably worried I’d wear sweatpants.”

Felicity looked confused. “No, why?”

“Every time I see you, I’m dressed like a slob.  I swear I don’t normally look like that.”

“You mean at the restaurant? Oh--” Her expression softened, and she glanced away, biting her lip.  When she met Laurel’s eyes again, there was a raw honesty in her gaze.  “Actually, I thought you looked beautiful.”

Laurel’s eyes grew wide.  “What?”  She couldn’t help but smile.  “Are you serious? I hadn’t put on makeup, my hair was gross…”

Felicity shrugged.  “I don’t care.”

The way this woman was looking at her made Laurel’s heart stick in her throat.  If they didn’t leave right now…  Laurel quickly turned to grab the box of cookies and tuck it under her arm.  “Ready?”

The drive to the movie theater was quick.  As they walked up the sidewalk, Laurel pulled out her wallet.  Felicity reached out to stop her.  “Hey, I asked you, so it’s my treat.”

Laurel insisted.  “But you already paid for dessert.  Let me get this.”

“How about you buy the tickets, I’ll get the popcorn and drinks.”  Her fingers still rested lightly on Laurel’s.

“Deal.”

Felicity started to let her hand drop, but Laurel caught it up in hers.  They laced their fingers together, and Laurel felt herself grinning stupidly.

It wasn’t until they were seated in the theater, and the previews were about to begin, that Laurel decided to make a confession.  She turned to Felicity.  “I need to tell you something,” she spoke in a hushed voice.

Felicity’s eyebrows shot up in concern.  “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve already seen this movie.”

Felicity bit her lip.  “Uh, me too.”

“I’m fine with watching it again, though,” Laurel assured her.  “I loved it.”

“Me too.”  Felicity laughed.

The lights went down as the movie started.  Laurel found herself grateful she’d watched it before, as she kept finding herself distracted by the woman beside her.  Occasionally their hands would bump in the box of popcorn, and Laurel’s stomach would flip like she was fifteen again.  Once the popcorn was gone, she pulled the cookies out of her purse, and they both stole quick bites, peering around guiltily to make sure no one noticed.

When the finally lights came up, Felicity looked down and groaned.  “Oh, great.”  She started to brush at her lap.

Laurel looked over to see flakes of red and green icing all over Felicity’s white skirt.  She scooped up Felicity’s hands, stopping her.  “Wait, you’ll rub it in!”  Instead, Laurel pulled the material taut, carefully flicking the icing away with her fingernail.  “There,” she finally announced, and looked up to see Felicity watching her with a curious expression.  Laurel pulled her hands back, mortified at herself.  “Oh God, I wasn’t trying to cop a feel, I swear. I’m really sorry.”

“I know you weren’t!”  She examined her skirt, now free of icing crumbs, then looked up with a smug grin.  “My hero.”

Walking to the parking lot, they debated which Avenger was the hottest.  Felicity thought Natasha Romanoff was the obvious choice, but Laurel preferred Agent Maria Hill.  The conversation was interrupted when Laurel’s phone started chiming with text alerts.  She checked the screen.  “It’s Thea,” she said, as her phone chimed once again.

Felicity frowned over her shoulder.  “Is something wrong?”

“Might be. She says her dad’s away, so she invited some friends over. I’m guessing things got a bit out of hand; it seems like she’s flipping out.”

“Does she want us to come by? I know where her father’s place is.”

Laurel texted the question to Thea.  The response came immediately, and Laurel laughed as she showed it to Felicity.  “That would be a yes.”  Both ladies got in the car, and Felicity drove them to the Merlins’ home.

When they arrived, Cin greeted them in the driveway.  “Hey!  I didn’t think you’d come!”  She hooked her arm around Laurel’s neck.

Felicity’s face was tight with concern.  “Is everyone okay? Where is Mr. Merlin?”

“I think he’s upstairs, why?”

Laurel shot a confused look at Felicity.  Untangling herself from the girl’s arm, she asked, “Have you seen Thea?”

Cin frowned, puzzled at the onslaught of questions.  “She’s inside.  Come on.”

They followed her around to the back of the house, where Felicity spotted a few of her students lounging around a swimming pool.  Roy shouted to them from the diving board before doing an impressive backflip into the water.  Laurel chuckled as she shook her head.  This was not the out-of-control mess she’d anticipated from Thea’s frantic messages.

Cin led them up a flight of wooden steps to a large deck that overlooked the pool.  A handsome middle-aged man was coming out of the house with a glass in his hand.  When he spotted the two women, his expression was a mixture of surprise and concern. “Hello,” he said cautiously.

Felicity forced a polite smile.  “Hello Malcolm.”

“Ms. Smoak!” He smiled and set down his glass.  “Good to see you!  And who is this?”

“Laurel Lance,” she held out her hand.

He wrapped his large hand around hers.  “Ah, yes, the mentor.  I’ve heard so much about you.”  He eased his grip, and Laurel pulled her hand away quickly.  He studied them.  “Thea didn’t tell me you two were coming.  Can I get you something to drink?”

“No,” they both answered at the same time.

“We won’t be here long,” Felicity added.  Laurel reached for her hand.

He looked disappointed.  “You’re welcome to stay. With all these kids taking over my house, I could do for some adult company.”

“We really can’t. Thank you anyway.”  His smiled faded.  Laurel felt Felicity’s hand tighten around hers.

To their relief, Sara appeared in the doorway.  “Hey, when did you get here?  We’ve got a game going downstairs, come on!”

They were more than glad to follow.  She led them in past the kitchen, through a hallway, and down a flight of stairs to the den.  The room was set up in a cozy arrangement, with several couches pushed around a low table.  Cin hopped over the back of a couch to sit by Nyssa, as Thea ran over to greet the new arrivals.  “I’m so glad you’re here!”

Laurel hugged Thea, then made a stern face.  “We only came by to make sure you were okay, which you are.”

“Oh, won’t you stay for just a little while?”  

Felicity narrowed her eyes, pretending to be angry.  “Five minutes, and that’s it.”  Thea made an exaggerated pouting face, and Felicity sighed.  “Okay, ten minutes!”  Sara dragged her over to join the card game.

Thea turned to Laurel.  “You guys are super cute together. How was the date?”

Laurel’s mouth dropped open.  “Wait, you knew?”

“Everybody knows, silly.”

Felicity was laughing over a hand she’d just lost.  Laurel felt herself grinning.  She tried not to think about what sort of gossip had gone around.

Thea lowered her voice to a loud whisper. “So, did she kiss you yet?”

Laurel shot her a look.  “I’m not going to answer that,” she whispered back.

“Does that mean no?”

“We are so not talking about this.”  She walked over to the couches to get a closer look.  Everyone was slapping cards down frantically. “What are you guys playing?” Laurel asked.

Sara glanced up between moves.  “Egyptian Ratscrew.”  She laughed at Laurel’s reaction.  “Just watch, you’ll figure it out.”  The kids continued throwing down cards in a pattern she couldn’t make heads or tails of.

Felicity peered up at Laurel.  “They taught me during late rehearsals.”

Nyssa brought her hand down loudly against the table, scooping up a pile of cards.  Everyone groaned in protest, but kept playing.  Next, Felicity slapped another pile.  “Hey,” Cin complained.  “Just because you’re our teacher doesn’t mean you can cheat!”

“I don’t have to cheat.”  Felicity spread the top few cards.  “How about that!”  She laughed as she pushed away from the table.  “Alright, somebody take my spot.”  She joined Laurel by the foot of the stairs.

Thea followed, and grabbed her by the arm, her eyes wide.  “Ms. Smoak wait, I need to talk to you.  It’s important.”

Felicity handed Laurel her car keys with an apologetic look.  “I’ll be right there.”

“No problem.”  Laurel waved at the girls around the table.  “See you on Tuesday!”  She made her way back to around the house to Felicity’s car.  This had been a first date unlike any other.  As she waited, she tried not to dwell on Thea’s question.  It didn’t matter if they hadn’t kissed.  Even if Felicity only liked her as a friend, Laurel still wanted her as a best friend.  They were simply too perfectly matched to not be part of each other’s lives.  She couldn’t recall the last time she’d felt so comfortable spending time with anyone.

Before long, Felicity joined her and they drove away.  On the drive back, they compared notes about the students they had each worked with, and the parents they had met.  All too soon they were back at Laurel’s apartment.  Felicity parked in front of the building, and they both got out of the car.

Laurel’s heart was pounding in her ears.  “I had such a great time.”

“Me too.  Can we do this again?”

“Sure, I’d love that.”  They both stood grinning at one another.

Felicity gave an embarrassed smile.  “Thea said something after you left, and I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“Oh no, what did she do?”

Felicity grew serious.  “She told me... I had to kiss you, or else.”

Laurel burst into laughter.  “Or else what!”

A smile spread across Felicity lips.  “I have no idea.”  She let her gaze wander over Laurel’s face.  “It’s silly.”

“Ridiculous,” Laurel agreed.  She felt giddy.

Felicity reached up to touch Laurel’s face, soft fingers brushing down her cheek.  Without thinking, Laurel stepped closer.  She cupped Felicity’s delicate face in both hands.  They both leaned in, hardly breathing.  Their lips met, and it was gentle, and confident.  Absolutely perfect.  Laurel inhaled deeply, letting the taste and feel and smell of this woman push aside everything else.  She smoothed her hand over Felicity’s hair, trying to pull her closer.

Felicity wrapped her fingers in the front of Laurel’s jacket, tugging their bodies together.  As she moved in, her shoe turned on a pebble.  Her foot slipped just enough to throw her off balance, and she stumbled forward.  Laurel managed to catch her, only by falling back against the side of the car with a hollow thud.  Felicity stared up at her, breathless.

They both started to laugh.  Holding on to one another, they giggled helplessly, still balanced against the car.  Laurel helped Felicity get her footing, but they didn’t let go.  When they leaned in for a second kiss, neither could stop smiling.  It just felt right.

Not too soon after, Laurel watched from her window as the car drove away.  Felicity had already promised to call once she got home, and Laurel was already missing her voice.

For the next two years, nearly every day finished with a phone call.  After that, they didn’t have to pick up the phone to talk until the wee hours, ever again.

 


End file.
